Not everyone can, or wants to, drill above a window. You might rent. The reveal might be tiled. You might not want screws in a uPVC frame that’s still under guarantee. Or you might not own a drill. There are three honest no-drill routes, and they suit quite different windows. This guide helps you pick one and check it’ll fit before you spend anything.

The three no-drill options

  • Frame-fitted (“Perfect Fit-style”) blinds clip into uPVC window frames, move with the window when it opens and sit tight to the glass. They’re the best long-term option for tilt-and-turn, inward-opening and bathroom windows, if your frames pass the checks below.
  • Tension or twist-fit rollers wedge inside the recess with spring pressure. They suit rentals and tiled reveals with a standard recess, but leave side gaps like any recess roller.
  • Stick-on blinds fix to the frame with adhesive. They’re a stopgap while the real blind is on order.

Frame-fitted blinds

“Perfect Fit” is a trade name, and you’ll see similar systems sold under other names. The blind comes in its own slim frame, often with a pleated, roller or venetian blind inside. Thin brackets slide in between the glass and the rubber seal around it, gripping the glazing bead (the strip that holds the glass in), and the frame clips onto them. Because the blind is fixed to the opening part of the window, it moves with it. That’s why these are a good answer for tilt-and-turn windows and inward-opening doors, where an ordinary blind gets in the way.

Each pane of glass gets its own blind, so a window with three panes needs three. They tend to cost more per window than a plain roller across the whole recess. The upside is a closer seal to the glass, which also helps with keeping heat in.

Tension or twist-fit rollers

These look like a normal roller blind, but the top tube has a spring or twist mechanism. You turn it until it presses firmly against both sides of the recess, so there are no screws and no brackets. They only work inside a recess. Measure as you would for any inside-recess blind, and follow the retailer’s instructions on deductions, because the mechanism takes up some of the width.

They have size and weight limits, which are on each product page. Recess sides that are crumbly, out of square or very glossy can let them creep down over time.

Stick-on blinds

Pleated paper or thin fabric blinds with an adhesive strip are cheap and take minutes to put up. They’re fine for a few weeks in a new flat while you wait for something better. They aren’t a long-term answer: they don’t look great, they don’t block much light, and the adhesive can mark paint or pull off a finish when it comes away. Test it somewhere hidden first.

Before you order a frame-fitted blind

Not every uPVC window can take one, and the frame depth decides which bracket you need. As an example, Make My Blinds’ Perfect Fit measuring guide (checked October 2026) asks you to confirm:

  • there’s a rubber seal between the frame and the glass. If there isn’t one, the system won’t fit;
  • the seal is no wider than 6 mm from the edge of the frame to the glass;
  • a credit card pushes at least 1 cm in between the seal and the glass;
  • there’s at least 2.5 cm clearance from the seal to handles, hinges or vents.

Then you measure the frame depth (from a card laid flat across the frame to the glass) and choose the matching bracket size.

Other retailers use different bracket ranges and tolerances. So do the checks in the guide of the retailer you’re actually buying from, and order a sample or bracket kit first if you’re unsure. If you measure the glass rather than the recess, check whether that retailer wants glass size or frame size and whether it makes any deductions. Mixing those up is an easy way to end up with a blind that doesn’t fit.

If your handles don’t leave enough clearance, some retailers sell frameless clip-in versions of the same idea. Otherwise a tension roller in the recess or an outside-recess blind is the better choice.

Renting: what to ask first

Drilling is an alteration, and most tenancy agreements say you need the landlord’s permission for alterations. Read yours. If you want to drill, ask in writing (an email is fine) and keep the reply.

No-drill blinds avoid holes. A short message is still a good idea: “I’d like to fit no-drill blinds that clip into the window frames and come out without marks”. It saves an argument at check-out. Keep the brackets and fittings together when you move, and take the blinds with you; they’re made to measure for that window, so they suit the next tenant or nobody.

Child safety still applies

No-drill doesn’t mean no cords. Frame-fitted pleated and venetian blinds often have no cord at all, which makes them a good choice for children’s rooms. Roller versions usually have a chain. Any chain or cord loop must be held taut by its tensioner or cleat, out of reach, and the rules in the child-safe blinds guide apply in full. On a tension roller, fix the chain tensioner without drilling only if the kit gives you a way to. Otherwise choose a cordless or spring-operated version.

When to pay for fitting

Frame-fitted and tension blinds are designed for DIY, and fitting usually takes minutes per window. Paying someone is worth it when:

  • you have lots of windows or a bay and want one person to measure everything consistently;
  • you aren’t sure your windows pass the suitability checks. A measure-and-fit service takes on the risk of a wrong size;
  • the only good option means drilling tiles or uPVC after all. The bathroom guide and the fitting walkthrough cover doing that safely.

The DIY vs professional comparison and cost guide help you weigh it up. If you’re still choosing a blind type, start with the which blind for which window chooser.

Frequently asked questions

Do Perfect Fit blinds need drilling?

No. The frame is held by thin brackets that slide in between the window's rubber seal and the glass, so no screws go into the window. They only work on windows with the right kind of rubber seal and enough bead depth, so do the retailer's suitability checks before you order.

Can I put up blinds in a rented home without asking the landlord?

Drilling is an alteration, and most tenancy agreements say you need the landlord's permission for alterations. Read yours and ask in writing if you want to drill. Frame-fitted and tension-fit blinds don't make holes, but it's still worth a quick message, and take them with you when you move out.

Will a tension-fit roller blind stay up?

In the right recess, yes. It's held up by spring pressure against the sides of the recess, so it needs firm, roughly parallel sides and must be within the product's size and weight limits. Crumbly plaster, out-of-square reveals and big, heavy blinds are where they slip.

Are no-drill blinds child safe?

Frame-fitted blinds keep the fabric inside the window and many have no cord at all, which helps. But any chain or cord must still be held taut by its tensioner or cleat, exactly as with a drilled blind.